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Board approves changes at Great Adventure BY DAVE BENJAMINStaff WriterJACKSON - The Planning Board has approved several changes at the Six Flags Great Adventure theme park, Route 537. Representatives of Great Adventure appeared before the board on Oct. 16 to present their plans for the coming season. Planning Board engineer Douglas Klee said one change involves the existing Looney Tunes Seaport portion of the theme park. "There are some proposals to do some retheming and to add additional rides in the existing area, which has previously been a component of the theme park," he said. Klee said there will also be some modifications in the hospitality area, noting that a pavilion for an educational facility will be incorporated in a previously undisturbed portion of the park. The last item had to do with some exit road modifications and automated toll plazas, Klee said. Richard Maloney, vice president, Birdsall Engineering, Eatontown, presented information on behalf of the applicant. "The Looney Tunes project consists of retheming the front portion of the Looney Tunes Seaport," he said. "The Looney Tunes Seaport is in the southwest portion of the park." Maloney said there will be two new kiddie rides and a small stadium and grandstand for children's shows. Attorney Ray Shea, representing Great Adventure, said these additions will all be in an area of the park that has been previously developed. "It's simply retheming and adding some new attractions in already developed areas," he told the board. The wild safari project will have an area where guests can pull over and park. "What we are proposing is to make the area more interactive," Maloney said, noting there will be an area for pony rides and an interactive animal area. Maloney said there will be an educational area where visitors will be able to learn about the animals, and a snack bar with tables. There will also be a location where guests will be able to leave their own pets while they visit the main theme park. "It all has to do with hospitality," Shea said. "The area itself is going to be called 'Wild Safari Interactive Outpost,' " said Al Rubano, director of construction at Great Adventure. "It is not a petting zoo." Rubano explained that there will be animals featured as animal ambassadors and they will be introduced to the guests by trainers. That will be part of the educational portion of the show. "The trainers will be teaching the children about the animals," Rubano said. Mark W. Kataryniak, vice president, Birdsall Engineering, told the board there will be some traffic changes at the park, particularly at the toll plaza. The aim of the changes is to ease traffic conflict points and improve traffic control, Shea said. Kataryniak pointed to an exhibit and said there is a need to reorganize the vehicle circulation entering and exiting Great Adventure. "This will allow guests to enter any one of the three theme parks as well as cross connect from one to the other," Kataryniak said, adding, "but at the same time have a smooth flow ... at the toll plaza so that we can move traffic more quickly through the toll plazas."
Maloney said there will be an educational area where visitors will be able to learn about the animals, and a snack bar with tables. There will also be a location where guests will be able to leave their own pets while they visit the main theme park.
Okay, I'll say it.AUTOMATED toll plazas? AUTOMATED?To collect fifteen bucks, they are also going to save labor and cost? Sigh.
I am wondering what changes the LTSP will get . I am slightly intrested to see if it will be themed with the looney tunes again or something else. Any ideas guys??
wiggles world OH NO ..enough sadi on that. i don't really care what the theme is as long as the rides are up and running . I do hope that they include the canyon area in the rehab. It is getting pretty old now correct me if i am wrong but hasn't that been there since it was adventure rivers ??
"This will allow guests to enter any one of the three theme parks as well as cross connect from one to the other," Kataryniak said, adding, "but at the same time have a smooth flow ... at the toll plaza so that we can move traffic more quickly through the toll plazas."